Results of the summarizing process for the arXiv paper: 1910.06080v1

This study, conducted by Felipe González, Claudia López, and Carlos Castro, focuses on the development of computational thinking in high school students in Chile. While most efforts to incorporate computational thinking in K-12 education have targeted students in their early years of schooling using visual tools like Scratch and Alice, there has been limited research on the development of computational thinking in students in their later years of school who may not have had prior formal preparation. The study aims to provide evidence of the effectiveness of teaching programming in C++ (a low-level language) to develop computational thinking skills among high school students. To assess this, a test was administered before and after a voluntary C++ programming workshop. The results indicate a significant improvement in computational thinking at the end of the workshop. However, it was observed that students with lower levels of initial computational thinking tended to drop out of the workshop more frequently. Additionally, tenth-grade students obtained lower final scores compared to eleventh and twelfth-grade students. These findings suggest that teaching a low-level programming language like C++ can be beneficial for developing computational thinking skills among high school students. However, it also highlights the presence of entry barriers associated with learning such languages. Further research and interventions may be needed to address these barriers and ensure equal access to computational thinking education for all high school students.

• Study focuses on development of computational thinking in high school students in Chile
• Most efforts to incorporate computational thinking have targeted early years of schooling using visual tools like Scratch and Alice
• Limited research on development of computational thinking in later years of school without prior formal preparation
• Study aims to provide evidence of effectiveness of teaching programming in C++ to develop computational thinking skills among high school students
• Test administered before and after voluntary C++ programming workshop
• Results show significant improvement in computational thinking at the end of the workshop
• Students with lower initial computational thinking tend to drop out more frequently
• Tenth-grade students obtained lower final scores compared to eleventh and twelfth-grade students
• Teaching a low-level programming language like C++ can be beneficial for developing computational thinking skills among high school students
• Presence of entry barriers associated with learning such languages highlighted, further research and interventions may be needed

Developing Computational Thinking in High School Students: A Study of C++ Programming

In recent years, there has been a growing emphasis on the importance of teaching computational thinking to K-12 students. While most efforts have focused on introducing visual programming tools like Scratch and Alice to younger students, there has been limited research on how to teach computational thinking skills to high schoolers who may not have had prior formal preparation. In an attempt to address this gap, Felipe González, Claudia López, and Carlos Castro conducted a study that aimed to assess the effectiveness of teaching programming in C++ (a low-level language) for developing computational thinking skills among high school students.

Methods

The study was conducted with a sample of high school students from Chile who volunteered for a workshop that taught them how to program in C++. Before and after the workshop, all participants completed a test designed by the researchers specifically for assessing their level of computational thinking. The results were then analyzed using descriptive statistics and paired t-tests.

Results

The results showed that there was a significant improvement in participants’ levels of computational thinking at the end of the workshop compared with before they started it. However, it was also observed that those who had lower initial scores tended to drop out more frequently than those with higher initial scores – suggesting that entry barriers associated with learning such languages exist and need further attention. Additionally, tenth-grade students obtained lower final scores than eleventh or twelfth-grade students – indicating that age may be an important factor when considering which programming language is best suited for teaching computational thinking skills at different stages of schooling.

Conclusion

Overall, this study provides evidence that teaching programming in C++ can be beneficial for developing computational thinking skills among high school students – although entry barriers associated with learning such languages must be taken into account when designing interventions targeting these groups. Further research is needed to better understand these barriers and ensure equal access to educational opportunities related to computing across all grade levels within K-12 education systems worldwide